AppleTV vs. Firestick et. al.

I found myself engaged in a conversation with a friend recently and we were debating the merits of the various streaming devices (Firestick, Roku, AppleTV, Nvidia Shield, etc.). I’ve tried nearly all of them, but I maintain the AppleTV has the best performance and therefore overall user experience. 

I find that my Firestick and Roku devices are underpowered and often hang or become unresponsive. I believe that’s due to a lack of processing power and memory/storage. The AppleTV on the other hand just seems overall to be quicker in loading apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime and so on.

I also enjoy how this devices blends in to the overall Apple Ecosystem, allowing me to access my photos and music as well as mirror my iPhone easily and connect my Apple Airpods Pro when I’m trying not to disturb other members of the household. I know not everyone is drinking the Apple flavored kool-aid, but for those that have this is a big benefit.

Anyway, the conversation led to this blog update. Do I have it all wrong? Drop me a comment and let me know your experience.

Cheers,
Braddog

(As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

Xikar Envoy Cigar Case

Over the years, I’ve used many cigar accessories from Xikar. I find them to be reasonably priced and well made. Recently, I screwed up and lost my cigar case and found the need to replace it. So I turned to a trusted accessory maker and checked out the offerings from Xikar.

I wanted something to carry more than a single cigar and something that was “crush-proof”. This Envoy case from Xikar fits my needs exactly.

If you’re looking for cigar cases, lighters, or cutters, Xikar is a solid brand that I’ve had great luck with. Check them out.

(As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

Cheers,
Braddog

New Espresso Machine – Delonghi Eletta Explorer

Like a lot of Americans, I fell down the rabbit hole of single cup coffee machines about a decade ago. During that time I’ve gone through a couple of Keurig machines of my own, and gifted them to my parents and my college-aged kids.

But during Covid (with a lot of time at home) we began to experiment with making coffee in different ways and converted to a Nespresso single cup machine. This was a switch from drip coffee to espresso based drinks and we somehow felt better about recycling the aluminum coffee pods rather than putting plastic pods in a landfill. I’m not entirely sure that the aluminum is always getting recycled, but whatever you have to tell yourself. Am I right?

Over the past couple of years, I’ve researched a variety of espresso machines and considered switching to a coffee routine that grinds the beans fresh for each cup. But frankly, neither my wife or I seem the type to enjoy all of the fiddly bits of grinding, tamping, pulling shots, steaming milk, etc.

So recently, I began to seriously consider a “bean to cup” machine. These are sometimes called SuperAutomatics because you literally push a button and out comes a freshly ground espresso shot with hot milk or foam if you choose. Lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos, hot drinks, cold drinks are all available (depending on the machine) at the press of a button.

For my birthday/Christmas, we settled on a Delonghi Eletta Explorer. This machine does all the things previously mentioned as well as cold brew. It’s been in our kitchen for a week now and I have to say that we’re really enjoying it. We also enjoyed hosting some friends for coffee and having a coffee shop experience that allowed each person to enjoy their favorite espresso. “Two cappuccinos, and a cold-brew vanilla latte with cold foam, please”. Try to do that with a Keurig!

My only complaint so far is that the machine will not connect to the Delonghi Coffee Link app, but I mean really, is it necessary to have a WiFi and app connected espresso machine?

We’re looking forward to the holidays and lots of house guests experiencing café quality coffee drinks, each to their own liking.

Cheers,
Braddog

(As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

Humidor Recommendation for the Serious Collector

If you’re into cigars, you know that you can go from enjoying the occasional cigar to buying more cigars than you smoke. And then what?

For me, I chase a few unicorns and enjoy collecting some hard to find or special release cigars. So my collections falls into two categories. The cigars I enjoy regularly, and those that I save for a special occasion. The result is, I need more space than a simple desktop humidor.

So a few years ago, I purchased a thermo-electric humidor that will hold ~300 cigars. The nice thing about these units is that they will cool to an optimum temp without sucking the moisture out of the unit (like a residential fridge or most wine fridges). They’re also really good at holding humidity steady with only a few humidity packs.

Here’s how mine looks with most of my collection tucked away nicely.

These come in a couple of different sizes, depending on how large your collection is. Overall, I’m very happy with my humidor and I’ve achieved temperature and humidity control that I almost never could with a traditional desktop humidor. Not to mention, I have the space to keep single cigars as well as boxes of my favorites.

Are you using a humidor like this, or something else? Drop me a line and let me know.

Cheers,
Braddog

(As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

2023 Holiday Shopping List

For the cigar, coffee, or cocktail lover on your list.

As we close in on the holidays, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite items for the person in your life who shares the passions of good cigars, cocktails, coffee, and the finer things of life.

Here’s a start, and I’ll fine tune this as the season goes.

Cheers,

Braddog

Arturo Fuente Limited Edition Ashtray

Some time ago, I settled on Arturo Fuente as my favorite brand. There are my options in their lineup to satisfy a variety of tastes and price ranges. As I’ve explored their whole line of cigars, I’ve also begun to collect a few of their accessories.

Shortly before relocating to Florida, I acquired one of their ceramic, art deco ashtrays. This piece is a tribute to the three generations of the Fuente family business and includes a variety of family traditions and icons. Emblazoned with the slogan “We will never rush the hands of time”, it’s large enough to accommodate a large gathering of cigar friends.

The piece comes in a variety of colors and I’m proud to display this in my outdoor space where I enjoy cigars with friends. Pick up on up for the cigar smoker in your family. Christmas time isn’t far off you know.

(As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

Cheers,
Braddog

Oak & Stone, Wellen Park, FL

Wellen Park continues to grow, adding new homes, businesses, and residents at a rapid pace. Recently another new eatery welcomed the local residents. Oak & Stone is a unique restaurant featuring craft beer and artisan pizza.

We met friends for dinner on Tuesday night for our first visit since the grand opening. If you’re a beer drinker or connoisseur, they have 50 drafts on tap in a self serve capacity. You only pay for the ounces that you draw from the tap, which allows you to sample a few (one ounce at a time) before deciding which one you’d like a full pint glass full of.

If you prefer wine & cocktails over the large beer selection, Oak & Stone has you covered as well with a full bar. I was surprised to see nearly 40 bourbons & whiskeys on the menu along with a dozen or so wine selections

We started with appetizers and really enjoyed the sweet & spicy cauliflower. It was large enough to share and something I’d order again. Our table had a couple of their artisan pizzas and a salad entrée. All were happy with their selections.

The Wellen Park location adds to the experience with plenty of outdoor dining options, including an upper deck with a wonderful view of the downtown Wellen Park area and sunset.

We’ll definitely return here in the future. We could imagine the upper deck being a wonderful place to catch the fireworks display over the Atlanta Braves Spring Training facility (Cool Today Park) during the summer.

Have you been to Oak & Stone at Wellen Park or one of their other locations? Leave me a comment and let me know how your visit was.

Cheers,
Braddog

Cold Brew

Since we relocated to Florida, I often find it too hot to drink hot coffee. I regularly drink iced coffee (or more accurately, iced espresso) at home, but when we’re out and about I often will order cold brew at one of the local coffee shops.

That sent me looking for a way to replicate a cold brew at home. I tried just putting coarse ground coffee in a large pitcher of cold water and filtering the grounds after the coffee was fully steeped. But frankly, that’s kind of a mess and more work than I’m willing to go through for a glass of cold brew.

Next, I tried cold brew “bags”. These are like large tea bags that you simply toss into a large pitcher of water and remove at the end. The problem here was that the bags regularly burst or were not sealed well from the manufacturing process, resulting in once again needing to filter the final product.

Finally, I landed on this product. The County Line Cold Brew Coffee Maker . This product consists of a large Mason Jar, a stainless steel mesh filter, and a lid/spout.

I’ve been really pleased with the results so far. The lid seals well on the jar, clean up is super easy, and I no longer have to re-filter the finished product. I also find that the cold brew keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. Any longer than that and the cold brew begins to take on a sour note. Note that coarse ground coffee makes all the difference here in terms of clean up.

Here’s how I enjoyed the first pitcher of cold brew from the County Line Cold Brew Coffee Maker

Leave me a comment and let me know if you have other tips or tricks for making cold brew.

Cheers,
Braddog

(As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.)

Restart

Well, it’s a been a minute since I’ve focused on my blogging activities. In fact, the lure of social media and short form updates has pretty much derailed my blog altogether.

So, I’m dusting off this WordPress blog and making another run at regular updates. However, this time I’ll be much more focused on complimenting my social pages. You can find me regularly at @Braddog on Instagram, Twitter, & now Threads.

As I say in my bio:

#BBQ 🍖
#Cigars
#Coffee ☕️
#Spirits 🥃🍺🍷
It’s a lifestyle….

Cheers,

Braddog

Review: Five Four Club

I like a new set of threads as much as the next guy and with all of the subscription services that have popped up recently, I thought I’d give it a try.  There are many to choose from, but I decided on Five Four Club based on the value to cost proposition.  Their business model is that you receive 2-3 items each month for a flat cost of $60 but an expected minimum value of $120.

Well, I must not be in the target demographic.  Despite completing my profile and choosing classic as my style profile (as opposed to casual or forward), what I received left me speechless.

I received 2 button up shirts.  On the surface, I thought they looked alright.  But on closer inspection, here’s what I discovered.

A navy blue button-down?  Cool!  That’s classic right?  WRONG.

Same shirt.  Banded sleeves?  Slash pockets?  On a button-down shirt?  WTH?  Is this an oxford?  A rugby? A jacket?  Who knows?  You gotta be kidding me.

Second shirt.

Better.  Again, a classic look that I could wear to work or casual.

  

Unfortunately, both shirts have this bizarre logo on the front pocket.  I can’t decide if this is a Harry Potter lightning bolt or an unfortunate acronym.  Either way, me no likey.

Now here’s the really bad part of this service.  You can exchange for a different size (and they do pay the shipping both ways), but you cannot return the items or ask for something different.  You get what you get.

Suffice to say that I cancelled my subscription the very day that I received the first shipment.  As I said, I guess I’m not in their target demographic.  Although, I can’t imagine any demographic wearing the button-down, rugby sleeved, slash pocketed, Harry Potter lightning bolt logo’d abberation that I received.  In fact, the customer service rep that I spoke with (who had chosen “forward” on his style profile) received the same item and shared my opinion.

In summary, Five Four Club = EPIC FAIL.

I’m off to Macy’s to do a little shopping.

Cheers,
Jay